Betrayal
by firefly81
Summary: Her husband betrayed her and sits in Azkaban. Hermione just has one question. Why?
1. Chapter 1

Getting to Azkaban was not the easiest thing to accomplish. The wards made it impossible to get to the island via magical means so it involved a long and uncomfortable journey across the North Sea in a very rickety boat. It was bitterly cold and raining. Of course it was raining, she thought. Just her luck. She breathed out a shaky sigh of relief as the prison finally came into view. This had to be the last place on Earth she wanted to be and it was a challenge just to be here, but she had to do this. She _needed_ to know.

The boat jerked violently as it was pulled up to the dock and she watched the guard tie it to a post, thankful for the slight delay. Even though she spent nearly an hour in that boat she still needed some time to steel her courage, now that she was just steps from the entrance. Staring up at the very tall fortress, she was suddenly overcome by fear and her feet felt like they were glued to the bottom of the boat. She couldn't do this, she should turn around right now, never to return. Her internal rambling was interrupted by the guard offering her his hand to help her off the boat. She took it, reluctantly. This was it; there was no turning back.

The inside was exactly how she imagined it. Dark, dreary, cold,and looking completely devoid of any life. The guard checked in her wand and told her that the Warden would be right with her. Hoping he did not take long, lest she lose her nerve, she began to wait. Luckily, the Warden arrived very quickly. He motioned for her to follow him so she jumped to her feet and did just that. Before long, he stopped in front of a solid black door.

"This is the visitors room. He's already in there. He cannot move from his chair and his magic is bound, as you know. You'll be perfectly safe."

"Thank you. I wasn't worried about my physical safety," she replied softly as the Warden opened the door. Taking a deep breath, she entered the room. She shivered; it was downright chilly in here. Her eyes found the man sitting in the middle of the room, nothing but a small, rectangular table between them. He looked nothing like himself, his so far short time in Azkaban already doing a number on him. His skin was gray; his hair dirty; his eyes dulled. In short, he looked awful.

"Hello, Lucius."

He said nothing, just continued to stare at her. She carried on.

"Draco's horribly upset at you, as I am sure you know. Don't expect him to visit any time soon. Or ever."

Still no response. She sighed.

"He's named me Head of the family in your absence. I imagine he did it to take a stab at you."

There! Finally some sort of reaction, even if it was just a sneer. She was sure this news did not please him, as he left instruction for Draco to take over Head duties in his absence. Considering his silence, Hermione began to wonder exactly why she was here. Did he really deserve to learn her news in person? She didn't think so, yet, after all that happened, she just couldn't find it in herself to tell him in a letter. Stealing herself, she relayed the information.

"Lucius... I... came here for a specific reason. I'm pregnant."

Some emotion she could not decipher crossed his face, briefly, before it was gone again. But yet, he still said nothing. She closed her eyes briefly in defeat, wondering just where her loving husband had gone.

_The ballroom was packed with people, all decked out in their finest formal-wear. Many were completely in their cups and having a grand ol' time out on the dance floor. Hermione, however, was utterly bored. Even though she had grown used to attending these sorts of events, she had never quite gotten to the point where she actually enjoyed them. Noticing a boring windbag from the Ministry heading her way, she grimaced and wished for an escape. She placed her glass of champagne on the nearest surface, quickly turned heel, and tried to get away. Her escape was thwarted, unfortunately, when she felt a hand go over her mouth and was pulled into a dark corner. She was struggling to get her hands on her wand as her abductor turned her around to face him. A loud sigh of relief escaped her mouth as she recognized him._

_"Are you insane? If I had gotten to my wand, I could have hurt you! What in Merlin's name are you doing?"_

_"Saving you from your boredom, of course."_

_"By pulling me into a dark corner and scaring the wits out of me?"_

_He chuckled and pulled her closer to him, if that was even possible. Her hands rested on his muscular chest, and she started fiddling with the buttons on his robes. He bent his head and suddenly his lips were at her ear._

_"You know you like it," he whispered, sending shivers down her spine. There was no use denying it. He was right; she did like it. His need to always get what he wanted was something of a turn on for her, something that surprised her in the beginning. And he not only knew it, he took full advantage of it. Just as he was doing right that minute. He began to trail light kisses down her neck, stopping only when he reached the junction of where her neck met her shoulders, where he bit lightly. She moaned softly and writhed gently against him._

_"Eager, are we, Miss Granger?" His voice husky as his hands began to wander across her body._

_"Always. And it's Mrs. Malfoy," she replied with a smirk._

She was fairly sure that their child was conceived that night, only days before Lucius found himself in Azkaban. Unable to take his silence any longer, she knew she had to ask what she needed to know even if she didn't think he would answer.

"Why did you do it? Why did you betray me?" she asked softly, as if afraid of the answer. Truth be told, she was. She needn't worry as his stony silence continued. She stood quickly then, tears threatening to fall. Coming here had been a mistake, why did she think he would tell her anything? She made her way to the door and then stopped right before it, hand on the handle.

"Did you ever love me?" she asked her last question, unable to turn around and face the man that had effectively broken her heart. He was silent still, and yet as her hand began to turn the handle of the door, a soft reply reached her ears.

"No."

Hurt and broken, she quickly threw open the door and left the room, trying desperately to hold in the sobs that wanted to escape.

Since she never looked back, she missed the lone tear that slid slowly down her husband's face, along with the look of utter anguish that rested there.

* * *

Written for the AU Battle Competition

Prison!AU

Prompt: Challenge

Thanks to my beta, erbkaiser for looking this over and the fast turnaround time! :)


	2. Chapter 2

By the time she returned to the Manor Hermione was a mess inside, a result of trying to contain her tears. Her emotions were all over the place, wavering between anger, sadness, and misery. However, she had to give herself a mental pat on the back for holding herself together so well in the face of her husband. Her well held up façade crumbled as she entered the library and found Draco waiting for her. She hadn't been expecting him and the thought that he cared enough to wait for her return really touched her. It was the look of worry and concern on his normally blank face that did her in. One moment she was walking into the library and the next poor Draco had his arms full of a wailing witch. She had been trying so hard to keep it together, for herself, for Draco, that she just couldn't do it anymore. Luckily, Draco was a good sport and held her tight while she cried herself out.

"It went well then, did it?" Draco asked, sarcasm dripping off every word. She gave a watery chuckle at his words and pulled away from him slightly.

"Oh yes, perfectly well. If you consider the fact that my husband said literally one word to me the entire time 'well'."

"He wouldn't talk, then? I can't say I'm exactly surprised. It was a long-shot to think you'd get any answers."

"I... I asked him if he ever loved me, Draco."

"Fuck. Why would you even ask him that? Just to torture yourself?"

"He said no. He said he never loved me!"

Saying that out loud made her tears start anew and Draco drew her back into his arms, swearing softly under his breath.

"My father did a terrible thing, Hermione, but I don't believe for a minute that he never loved you. Only the blind couldn't see the love he held for you."

"If what you are saying is true, he never would have done what he did. He never would have... "

She couldn't even bring herself to say it. Hurt flashed in Draco's eyes and she instantly felt guilty for being so needy. He was hurting too, after all, it was his father sitting in Azkaban.

"I'll never forgive him for doing this to me, to you. To our family. We'll get through this, I promise. I've decided that I can't leave you here alone. I've spoken to Luna and we are going to move back in. Malfoys stick together and do anything for family."

"Draco, no! I know how much you love your home. I refuse to let you put your life and Luna's on hold because of me. With how far along in her pregnancy she is, Luna should be where she feels most comfortable. I'll be fine, I promise."

Draco shot her a look that clearly told her that he did not believe her. She couldn't blame him; she didn't believe herself.

"Hermione – "

"Draco, I said no. Honestly, there's no need. Now go on home to your wife before I hex you for being an annoying little ferret," she said with a slight smile, letting him know she was teasing.

"Whatever you say, Step-Mummy," he taunted, his sarcastic words offset by his action of pulling her into another tight hug. He left then, after threatening to return the next day. She waved him off, knowing that whatever she said, he would show up regardless. She sighed loudly and forced herself to retire to her bedroom. A long, hot bath seemed like a good idea, and she hoped it washed away the taint that she felt Azkaban left upon her skin. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach that her night was going to be a sleepless one with whatever sleep she did get being filled with nightmares.

_It was getting extremely late, and Lucius still had not returned home. While he was known to work late on occasion, he always let her know if that was going to be the case. She would be lying if she said she wasn't worried. She sat impatiently in her favorite chair, tapping her fingers rhythmically on its arm. Ten more minutes, she thought, and her husband would be getting a tersely worded Patronus message. Five minutes into her self-appointed time limit, she heard the tell-tale noises of someone coming through the Floo. Before she could even get herself out of the chair to greet who she thought was her husband, she heard the voice of Draco instead, frantically calling her name. She leapt from the chair and rushed to him._

_"Draco? What are you doing here? Has something happened?"_

_Before he could answer her questions, the tinkling sound of the doorbell chimed throughout the house. This was slightly puzzling as there were not many people who had access to their front door, and she was expecting none of them. Between the look on Draco's face once he heard the doorbell and the fact that her husband was still not home, Hermione was now completely certain that something was terribly wrong. She turned sharply then and rushed for the door, ignoring Draco's calls to not answer it. Flinging it open, she was surprised to see Harry and Ron standing there. Harry was visibly upset, but what was more confusing was the look on Ron's face. He looked... smug. The smirk that rested upon his face was bordering on evil, and it seemed as though he was about to break out into one of his famous 'I told you so' speeches. _

_"Harry? Ron? What are you two doing here? I thought we had plans for tomorrow."_

_"Hermione, why don't you retire to your bedroom for the evening? I will deal with our guests."_

_She looked at Draco, completely confused over his formality. She was about to question him when she was cut off by Ron._

_"What's the matter, Malfoy? Still trying to protect dear, old daddy?"_

_"You shut your foul mouth, Weasley, or I'll shut it for you."_

_"Oh, now you are threatening an Auror? I can take you in for that, you know."_

_"That's enough! Both of you be quiet right this instance and try acting your ages for once. Harry, obviously something has happened. Why don't you tell me what that is?"_

_Before Harry could even so much as open his mouth, both Draco and Ron started arguing over who should be the one to tell her. Rolling her eyes, she silenced them both and turned her focus back to Harry. She arched an eyebrow at him, a mannerism she picked up from Draco._

_"Hermione... I... I don't really know how to tell you this."_

_"Just spit it out, Harry," she replied, her voice clearly conveying the fact that she was starting to get annoyed._

_"You know how Ron and I have been working on that string of rapes and killings of the prostitutes in Knockturn Alley, right? Well, we arrested our main suspect tonight. Hermione... it was Lucius."_

_"What? Harry, that is absolutely ridiculous! He would never do something like that! What evidence do you have against him?"_

_"Hermione, he turned himself in and confessed."_

_She could feel the blood quickly draining from her face. Shaking her head in denial, one look at Draco's face told her there was no use in arguing. Everything Harry was saying was true. Black dots began to cloud her vision, and she frantically tried to blink them away. It was to no avail, as they just got worse, and she promptly blacked out._

She woke with a start, breathing heavily. The nightmare was always the same, and it occurred almost every night since she found out. When she came to after blacking out, she saw Harry trying to restrain both Ron and Draco and doing an extremely poor job of it. Her two friends left shortly after with Harry apologizing over and over again while Ron said nothing. That infuriatingly smug expression was back on his face, however. She would ever be grateful for Draco in the days that followed. The fallout of Lucius' actions was harsh, and he shielded her from most of it, even going as far as refusing to let her attend the trial. The two of them had a few blazing rows over that, but in the end, she decided that Draco had the right of it. She stayed home, having not been feeling the best lately. While Lucius was sitting at his trial, receiving his lifelong sentence to Azkaban, she was at home, getting the news that she was going to have his baby.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to erbkaiser for betaing and Raybe for her help. Don't get too upset at Lucius just yet. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

She stood near the huge picture window in the library, gazing out to the flower garden. The garden was one of her most favorite places in the whole manor. Lucius had planted it for her after she told him how much she loved flowers of all types. The fact that he had planted it right outside of the library, her other favorite place, had warmed her heart. She could often be found strolling through the garden, a book in her hand and a smile on her face. She loved being able to breathe in the sweet scents of bluebells, azaleas, and columbines, among others. Now, however, looking out at the garden filled her heart with sadness. She knew she should be feeling something more like rage, and she had felt that in the beginning. In fact, she had almost taken her wand to the entire garden, but Draco had ended up stopping her before she could do any damage. The rage had, however, left her completely wiped out and now all that she was left with was sadness. She still had none of the answers that she wanted, so her extremely taxing trip to Azkaban yesterday had been a complete waste. Well, maybe not. After all, she did learn her entire relationship had been a lie, in that Lucius' feelings for her were never genuine.

A soft cough roused her from her musings, and she turned to see Draco standing in the doorway.

"Back so soon? I told you I would be fine."

"Yes, because you are looking quite fantastic right now, Hermione. Have you slept at all?"

Her answer was in her silence, and Draco let out a soft sigh.

"You really should let me brew you something. There are a few options that are safe to take during pregnancy."

"I know, but I'll be fine. Thank you though; I really appreciate all the help from you and Luna throughout this. But don't you have a job to go to?"

His reply, which she was sure was going to be sarcastic, was cut off by the arrival of an owl. Taking the letter from the owl in exchange for an owl treat, she ripped open the letter and quickly read it through. Its content caused a brief flare of rage to flash in her eyes before she sighed warily.

"What's wrong?"

She looked up sharply at the sound of his voice, having almost forgotten he was still there.

"Nothing. It's nothing."

The look he gave her, complete with a cocked eyebrow, told her clearly that he did not believe her. He was right, of course; it wasn't nothing. She debated to herself if she should tell him or not, knowing he would most likely not take it well.

"Hermione..."

"Fine. Just... don't get mad, okay? It's from Ron. He's been sending me letters about every other day or so, starting from the week after Lucius was... after he was... Anyway, it's not a big deal. He's just being a bit more persistent than I thought he would be, especially since I've told him no each time he owls me."

He said nothing in reply, merely holding out his hand for the letter. She hesitated, wanting to tell him to fuck off, that it was none of his business. In the end, she handed him the letter, knowing that he was just concerned for her safety. His face betrayed nothing as he read the letter and then calmly placed it down on a table behind him.

"You should tell Potter about this."

Both her eyebrows shot up, she was _not_ expecting that reaction.

"Draco, that's completely ridiculous. I'm not going to go running to Harry with something completely harmless. Ron is just being a sore loser. I'm sure he, for some reason, convinced himself that I would go running into his arms and when that didn't happen he changed tactics. He might think that sending almost constant owls is going to wear me down, but it's just annoying. And that's all it is, Draco, an annoyance. It's nothing you need to worry about, I promise. Now go to work before I floo-call Luna and tell her you are the one annoying me."

The panicked look on his face at her words had her fighting back a giggle, but they did the job and Draco left. As soon as he crossed the threshold into the hallway, she slumped down into the nearest chair. While she really believed that Ron was harmless, she wasn't lying when she said he was getting on her last nerve. How many times did she have to tell him that she just didn't see him in that way before he would leave her alone? She sighed, this time quite loudly, wishing (not for the first time) that Lucius was still here with her. He would have intimidated Ron into leaving her alone as he had no patience at all for the youngest Weasley boy. In fact, he was often the topic of their disagreements.

_"I don't approve of the way he looks at you, Hermione! Why can't you see that?"_

_"You don't like the way any wizard looks at me, Lucius. What am I supposed to do, gouge all their eyes out?"_

_"Don't be ridiculous. That is hardly necessary."_

_"I'm not the one being ridiculous here. That would be you. Ron is my friend, and I'm not going to just stop seeing him because you don't 'like the way he looks at me'," she parroted back, mimicking his aristocratic tone._

_"I do not sound like that. I wish you would just consider my opinion on this issue, Hermione."_

_"Just because I don't agree with your opinion, doesn't mean I'm not considering it! This is an absolutely absurd conversation, and I'm leaving! Owl me when you come to your senses."_

_She was about halfway across the library floor when she heard him calling after her. She ignored him, determined as she was to leave. The next words out of his mouth, however, had her coming to an abrupt stop. Whirling around to face him, she stared at him, slack-jawed. _

_"What... what did you just say?"_

_"Marry me, Hermione."_

_"I... you can't just... what?"_

_He approached her then, elegantly (as if Lucius Malfoy could ever be anything but) dropping to one knee._

_"I love you, Hermione. I promise that you will want for nothing, including my love and protection. The thought of not having you besides me always is a thought of despair. Be my wife."_

_The slack-jawed expression still having not left her face, she just stared at him, searching his face for his sincerity. She could see it shining in his eyes and knew he was telling the truth._

_"Damn it, Lucius! I'm mad at you!" _

_"Oh? Is that so?"_

_"You complete... and utter... Slytherin! I love you too. Of course I'll marry you," she said as she launched herself straight into his arms. His lips caught hers in a passion filled kiss and they proceeded to celebrate their engagement. Much, much later, she would turn to him and say, "I'm still mad at you." His answering smirk had her throwing a pillow at his head._

_Cocky bastard._

He really was a cocky bastard, she thought, tears running down her face as she roused herself from that particular memory. The promises he made that night were broken, had probably been broken the moment they fell from his lips. She had to force herself to stop this wallowing as it couldn't possibly be good for the baby.

* * *

Meanwhile, a wizard sat in a darkened room, staring at a picture of the witch he loved. A wide grin slowly crossed his face because he knew it would only be a matter of time until he had her in his arms. Once his plan came together and she would finally _see_, everything would be perfect.

Just perfect.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to erbkaiser for betaing. Just a FYI, this story is short. Since it was originally a one-shot, I don't have any plans of dragging it out so we are looking at maybe 2-3 more chapters. As for Lucius proposing during an argument, during a conversation between myself and Raybe, we both decided that was something he would totally do. :)


	4. Chapter 4

The two weeks that passed after her visit to Azkaban went slowly. She had taken an indefinite leave of absence from her job as soon as Lucius had been arrested, and while she was bored, she also could not imagine going back to work. Anytime she so much as stepped outside of the Manor she was surrounded by reporters demanding answers to their questions. The press had never been particularly kind to her, but ever since this whole fiasco things have been much worse. The Daily Prophet went largely ignored as she was quite sick of reading about herself. In fact, she had taken to throwing it in the fireplace. Watching it burn was oddly satisfying.

A soft chime sounding throughout the house let her know she had a visitor. Thankful that it wasn't Draco, because he would have flooed or Apparated over, she made her way to the front door. Throwing it open, she was happily surprised to see one of her only girl-friends standing there.

"Ginny! Come on in. What are you doing here in the middle of the day? Shouldn't you be at work?"

Ginny just laughed at her barrage of questions as they walked to the sun-room, Ginny's favorite room in the Manor.

"I had some time so I wanted to come and check up on you, see how you were holding up."

"Well, Draco or Luna have been by nearly every day. I know he means well, but it's getting to be a bit much so I had to threaten to hex his bits if he didn't scale it back some. Plus, Luna is close to her due date so she really shouldn't be Flooing over here."

They sat there, sipping tea and eating biscuits, while Ginny filled her in on the latest gossip going around the Ministry. It was nice to just sit down and engage in a frivolous activity as girl talk. She enjoyed spending time with Ginny, something that had decreased in frequency after she married Lucius. While Ginny had said she was happy for her, it was absolutely apparent that she did not approve of Hermione's choice in husbands.

"So, Hermione, Ron tells me that you two have been talking more lately. I know he's hoping you might give him a chance."

"If you consider him sending me an owl every single day, then sure, we are 'talking' more. I've told him 'no' multiple times, Gin. My interest in him is as a friend, nothing more."

Ginny was clearly disappointed by her answer, her smile dimming slightly.

"He told me you were coming around. Are you sure? Surely you want to move on at some point, right?"

Hermione sighed, aware that Ginny had really wanted her to be an actual Weasley by way of marrying Ron.

"Ginny, I'm still legally married, and that fact is not going to be changing anytime in the near future."

"What? Hermione! How could you possibly want to stay married to that... that monster?" Ginny spat out, clearly disgusted by Hermione's words.

"It's not as simple as just getting a divorce, Ginny. You know we had a traditional Wizarding wedding with permanent bonds. I can't break them even if that's what I wanted. Besides, there is another reason I have no interest in moving on... I'm pregnant."

Ginny's eyes grew huge and the deep intake of breath she took told Hermione that the pregnancy announcement had surprised her.

"But... but... no! Hermione, Ron will never be with you if you have Malfoy's baby. Don't you see? That is how it was supposed to be, you with Ron and me with Harry!"

Hermione eyed Ginny with concern as her outburst made little sense.

"Ginny... you haven't been with Harry for a few years now. You know he's perfectly happy with Daphne."

Hermione was slightly taken aback at the quick flare of anger she saw in Ginny's eyes at the mention of Daphne's name. But, as quickly as it appeared it disappeared, and suddenly everything was back to normal.

"Oh, I know that. I'm happy for him, really I am. It's just... I guess I'm just a little disappointed that we won't be family, is all."

"I don't need to marry your brother to be your family. You've always been part of my family of the heart."

Ginny seemed appeased by her statement and the two chatted about more light-hearted topics until it was time for Ginny to get back to work. Hermione was grateful for the visit as it took her mind off her husband, at least for a little while. She didn't like to admit it, but she was lonely. Even with Draco checking on her daily and Harry stopping by when he could, it just wasn't the same as having Lucius' presence in the Manor. Those thoughts immediately had Hermione berating herself. Lucius was a monster who did terrible things to those women; being alone and lonely in the Manor was far better than living with a monster.

The dream had started out nice enough. She blamed the pregnancy hormones for the fact that she was having sex dreams about her husband.

_The moans that sounded throughout the room were exciting her. She enjoyed almost nothing more than reducing the great Lucius Malfoy to a great pile of need. Giving one last swipe of her tongue over the head of his cock, she pulled away and looked up at him. His face was flushed, and his eyes were darkened with lust. _

_"Evil. You are evil, woman. You should really finish what you started," he said, his eyes moving from her face to look pointedly at his cock. Instead of taking him up on his suggestion, she moved further away, smirking when she heard him groan in frustration._

_"Well, I could," she started to say, as she tugged her dress up and over her head, leaving her bare but for a pair of green, lace knickers. "But I can think of something much more... fun."_

_She squealed when his hand shot out suddenly, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her down on top of him. _

_"You'll be the death of me, witch," he whispered before lowering his lips to hers in a heated kiss. Before things could go much further, however, something quite odd happened. Hermione looked on horror as Lucius started to fade right in front of her. Trying to push down her panic, she got up from the bed and retrieved her dress from the floor, tugging it back over her head. She had to find Lucius, had to figure out what just happened. She did not get very far before the door to their bedroom slammed open. Eyes wide, she couldn't believe who was standing there._

_"Ron? What are you doing in my bedroom? And how did you even get in here?"_

_"Why am I here? I'm here to take back what's mine," he answered as he stalked towards her. Her attempt to run past him and out the door was thwarted as he easily caught her. He pulled her in close to his body, much closer than she ever wanted to be. As his lips started to descend towards hers, she was able to struggle out of his grasp enough to knee him right between the legs. He went down hard, a pained moan escaping from his mouth._

_"You... you stay away from me, Ronald Weasley! You disgust me!"_

_"I disgust you? You are the one that married a monster, Hermione, not me. If that wasn't bad enough, you just had to go and get pregnant. You are the one who is disgusting."_

_Hermione had no idea what was going on as she watched with terror as she heard Ginny's voice saying those things. Slowly, as if he had taken Polyjuice Potion, Ron's body morphed into Ginny's._

_"Ginny? What... " she trailed off, completely confused as to just what was going on here._

_"I'm sorry, Hermione. You should have listened to me when I told you it was a bad idea to marry Malfoy. I can't, in good conscience, allow any more of his spawn to exist."_

_With that said, Ginny pointed her wand right at Hermione's stomach and uttered the two words that struck fear into every witch or wizard's heart._

_"Avada Kedavra."_

Hermione shot straight up in her bed, right before the sickly green light struck her in the stomach. Struggling to catch her breath, she groped for her wand. As soon as her fingers felt the smooth wood, she cast a Lumos and looked around her bedroom. Satisfied that there was no one there, that it really had been just a dream, she sunk back into her pillows. She had heard that some women had some crazy dreams throughout their pregnancies, but that was not anything like she had been expecting. She supposed that Ginny's visit had bothered her more than she cared to admit. Sighing, she willed herself to forget all about it and try to get back to sleep.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to erbkaiser for betaing. Another thanks to NeonDomino and Raybe for all their help on this story. Probably only looking at 2 more chapters or so. We are getting close to knowing just what is going on!


	5. Chapter 5

Sleep was not easily had, unfortunately, and she felt like death when she finally forced herself to get up the next morning. As she went about her (quite boring, truth be told) daily routine, she just couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something was desperately wrong. But instead of dissipating throughout the day like she thought it would, the feeling only seemed to get worse. It was as if the air itself had grown heavy and dense, like the oppressive feeling that was felt right before a thunderstorm hit. She chose to attempt to ignore it for the time being.

By the time it was time for lunch, she had worked herself into a frenzied state. She was making her way to the Floo to contact Draco, thinking that perhaps something was wrong with the baby, when the chime for the front door sounded. Deciding to ignore it, she continued on her way. But before she could reach her destination, the chime sounded again, this time three short bells in a row. Ron, she thought. He was the only one that ever did that. She abandoned her course, ignoring the small voice in her head that was telling her to contact Draco first, and instead went to the door. She flung open the door with a frustrated sigh, hoping that whatever Ron wanted would not take long.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Ronald?"

He merely scowled at her as he pushed passed her and entered her home. Seconds later, he stopped and turned to face her when he realized she had not followed him.

"We need to talk, Hermione."

"As far as I'm concerned, we have absolutely nothing to talk about. I made my feelings quite clear in my last letter."

"Just tell me, is it true? Are you really pregnant with the spawn of that... that disgusting Death Eater?"

Hermione mentally cursed Ginny for running to Ron with the news of her pregnancy, although she supposed she shouldn't be surprised.

"It is true, although it is also none of your business."

"None of my business? Of course it is. You're mine, Hermione. You've always been and always will be mine. You belong with me; why can't you just see that? But I refuse to raise that abomination. We'll get married right away, and I've tracked down a Healer that can take care of your problem."

She was speechless as she stood there, looking at the man that used to be one of her best friends in horror. This man, _this man_ was not her best friend. She had no idea who this man was.

"Ron, have you gone spare? Not only am I certainly _not_ marrying you – as I've told you multiple times – I can't believe you just suggested I get rid of my baby! What is wrong with you?"

He didn't answer her right away, instead he began to pace back and forth in front of her. Increasingly concerned by his odd behavior, she started to inch her way away from him and towards the closest Floo. Unfortunately for her, he noticed her movement right away and reached out to grab her wrist. As she struggled to break free from his grasp, his hold just got tighter until she cried out in pain. He did not let go at her cry and instead backed her up against the wall, blocking any escape with his body.

"Ron... please. Don't do this. I'm not worth it; you'll find someone else easily enough."

"Why do you have to make things so hard, Hermione? Why? Everything was perfectly planned, but you just couldn't go along with it, could you?"

"Perfectly planned? What... what did you do, Ron? Oh gods, what did you do?"

His mouth twisted in a sneer. The look in his eyes scared her even further. She could barely recognize him: this was not the Ron that used to be her best friend. She didn't know who this person was.

"What did I do? Not much, actually. I was just the assistant. I assisted in trying to get some hair from that Death Eater husband of yours and got my hands on some Polyjuice potion. He was too clever though, your husband. I tried to follow him for weeks and never could get near enough to get any hair. So we had to change the plan a bit. We really wanted to get Lucius, but we figured Draco would do just as well. Luckily – for us, not him of course – he wasn't nearly as vigilant as his father."

Hermione listened in increasing horror as Ron monologued the whole plan. It wasn't even his plan, he told her. He just helped here and there, because he knew that once the Malfoys were brought down she would coming running right back in his arms. She felt ill as he described his partner taking the potion to look like Draco and going to Knockturn Alley to pick up prostitutes. Ron would follow, hidden with a Disillusionment charm and carrying a camera. He would watch while capturing the crime with the camera. They did the whole routine three times before they decided they had more than enough to ruin the Malfoys.

"We confronted Lucius with the pictures and gave him a simple choice. Either we would submit the pictures as evidence against Draco, or he goes down to the Ministry to turn himself in. He hesitated briefly, making us worry he was going to let Draco go to Azkaban, but he agreed to our terms."

"Anything for family," she whispered.

Ron heard her and laughed.

"You mean, anything for his son. After all, he did leave behind his new wife," Ron said, derision dripping from each word.

"I would have done the same for my son," she said, defending her husband. Ron's face twisted in rage at hearing her defend Lucius, and he pushed her harder into the wall. She cried out in pain and, for the first time, was truly afraid of Ron. She struggled against him in vain as his hold on her was just too tight.

"Where do you think you're going? You haven't even heard the best part! Don't you want to know who was really behind all of this? The plan was quite genius, really."

"Ron, please. This whole thing is absolutely insane. Just... just let me go and maybe they'll go easy on you. Please."

He continued on speaking as though he didn't even hear her.

"I admit, I didn't think she had it in her when she first approached me about it. I laughed at her and sent her on her way. But she kept coming back and I finally realized she was actually serious. I agreed to help her because she was really starting to scare me. I think that diary messed with her head, or something."

The diary? How could a diary mess with someone's h –

_Oh_.

_OH_.

_NO_. That was impossible! She wouldn't... she wouldn't!

Hermione didn't even realize that she was saying those words out loud until Ron responded.

"Oh, it is possible. My little sister has quite the twisted mind."

She thought that perhaps Ginny wasn't the only Weasley whose mind was affected by a horcrux.

"Now, enough talking. Ginny and I have a place we've been using for planning, and I'm going to take you there. I've found a spell to take care of the baby and then you'll be free for me."

She screamed as he suddenly released her, only to throw her over his shoulder and make his way to the front door. Realizing her wand was still in her bedroom, she began to panic as she knew she had no means of escape. But then she remembered something Lucius had told her when he placed the Malfoy ring on her finger.

_She gasped as she took in the ring Lucius just slipped on her finger. It was gorgeous! The center stone was a very large square cut emerald (no surprise there), and it was flanked by two diamonds. Set in platinum and obviously Goblin made, it was probably worth more than the house she grew up in._

_"I love it, Lucius. It is absolutely stunning."_

_"A stunning ring for a stunning witch. That's the best ring in the whole collection, and it comes with a few protections. I've also added a few myself. For instance, if you are ever in danger, press your finger to the emerald and repeat 'help' over and over in your head. Both Draco and I will be alerted to your distress."_

Grateful that her hands were finally free, she pressed a finger to the emerald and started shouting 'help' in her head.

She could only hope that Draco got the message in time.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to erbkaiser for betaing. I apologize for not responding to reviews from last chapter, things have been crazy. Thanks for all the reviews as I greatly appreciate them! Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Lucius Malfoy had been through many things in his life. He was forced into a life of near servitude to a madman by his father and, as a result, he had committed unspeakable and unforgivable crimes in his name. He watched his first wife, Narcissa, get killed in front of him as a punishment for not getting the Prophecy. When the Dark Lord decided that wasn't punishment enough, he watched while his only son was tortured and sent off on an impossible task. But he was a Malfoy, so he held his head up high and persevered. He refused to let any of that break him and took pride in the fact that those events did not.

He thought himself unbreakable.

But then he was thrown in Azkaban (again), with no means for escape this time, for crimes he did not commit. He thought he could handle it, staying there for life, knowing he did it for his son. Even though the thought that his family thought he was guilty nearly killed him. Nearly, but he held on. But then his pretty young wife walked into the visiting room at Azkaban and did the one thing that years of horrible events could not.

She broke him.

Pregnant. She was _pregnant_. Despair had filled his heart when those words fell from her lips, knowing he would not get to watch this child grow up. That he wouldn't be able to watch his wife's belly swell with his child. He knew, he _knew_, that she still loved him. She wasn't the type to just be able to turn her feelings off at the flip of a switch. Knowing she would never be in peace unless she had some sort of closure, he did the one thing he had promised her he would never do.

He lied.

She had asked him if he had ever loved her. He wanted to shout that he did; that he loved her with all his heart and always would. Instead he was cruel and told her no, knowing that would break any hope she had that perhaps her husband wasn't this horrible monster. He hoped it would enable her to move on, emotionally at least, even if she had to remain Mrs. Malfoy by law.

He was able to make it back to his cell before he completely broke down. Huddled in the corner of the dark, dirty, cold cell, loud sobs racked his body. He cried until he was physically exhausted. His last conscious thought before he fell asleep was that if he ever got out of this gods-forsaken place, he was going to ruin the Weasleys.

* * *

_The knock on his study door startled him since he knew he was alone in the house. Unsure of who could possibly be in his house without his knowledge he called out for the person to enter, his hand resting on his wand. The door swung open, and his eyes narrowed and a sneer formed on his face as he took in his visitor._

_"Mr. Weasley. Whatever do I owe the pleasure of your company, unannounced I might add? If you are looking for Mrs. Malfoy, she's not at home and won't be for some time."_

_He smirked at the boy as he watched jealousy flash in his eyes._

_"I didn't come for her; I came to talk to you."_

_"Pray tell, Mr. Weasley, whatever do we have to talk about?"_

_A short silence passed between the two before the red-haired boy threw a large envelope on Lucius' desk. Lucius arched his perfectly formed eyebrow as if to silently ask 'what exactly is this'. The boy merely mockingly waved his hand at it, motioning for him to open it. He heard him scoff as Lucius held his wand over the envelope and hit it with a curse and jinx detector spell. Lucius certainly was not going to trust anything coming from a Weasley. The moment he opened it, he immediately wished he had not. Inside were pictures, many pictures. Many pictures showing his son engaged in sex acts with various prostitutes. As he quickly flipped through them, he was horrified to see the last pictures were of Draco killing the poor women. For once in his life, he was unsure on how to proceed. Not that he would ever let Weasley see that._

_"Quite an interesting array of photographs you have here, Mr. Weasley. There does, however, seem to be a problem with them."_

_The boy snorted. "And what would that be?"_

_"It's impossible that this is Draco in these photographs. I know for a fact he was here at the Manor having dinner with myself and Mrs. Malfoy on the nights that two of these young women were killed. For the third, he was not even in the country. So tell me, Mr. Weasley, just what you are hoping to accomplish here."_

_The boy had the nerve to smirk at him before he told him that Lucius could either go turn himself in at the Ministry, or the pictures would be turned in to the Head Auror within the hour._

_"What are they going to believe? The word of a Death Eater or physical evidence of the killer caught on camera?"_

_Lucius felt his heart sink as he realized that Weasley was quite correct. There was no doubt that the pictures would be believed over his or his son's word. Even if Hermione verified their story, too many still believed he had used the Imperius to get her to agree to marry him. They would argue that he was controlling her. He had a very difficult choice to make: either he turned himself in or got his son sent to Azkaban. _

_"Well, Mr. Weasley, it seems you have me at a distinct disadvantage. Please do not think I cannot see what you are hoping to accomplish. You will never have her. And you should be aware, when I get out, and I will get out, you will rue this day."_

_"You aren't getting out of this, Malfoy. You'll be in Azkaban for the rest of your miserable life."_

_As he allowed the boy to accompany him to the Auror Department, he had only one thought in his mind._

_Hermione, please forgive me._

* * *

Lucius had an increasingly hard time dealing with his imprisonment after the visit from his wife. He cursed himself for telling her that he never loved her. His despair at not being able to be with his family grew as each day passed until he felt as if it could physically crush him. He tried to keep his overwhelming feelings at bay by concocting plans to ruin the Weasleys. He gave no thought to the fact that the whole family wasn't involved in the plot. He did not care; he was going to crush them all. He found that thinking about that lifted his mood somewhat, but was usually quickly brought back down as his thoughts inevitably turned to his wife.

_Lucius had kept his eyes on her the whole night. He watched as she danced with wizard after wizard (and even some witches), each more unworthy than the next. It was tough to admit, even if it was just to himself, but he was extremely jealous. His regards for the witch had greatly increased over the past six months while they were working on a new law regarding dark artifacts. Her department had asked him to step in as an expert. He chuckled softly to himself as he remembered her first reaction to him coming on board. To say she was unhappy about it would be quite the understatement. He was, however, able to charm her and they had even began to take their lunches together. But it was no longer enough. He wanted her and he would have her. Tonight. _

_Just as he made the decision to ask her to dance, he watched through narrowed eyes as yet another wizard approached her before he could. Placing his glass of champagne on the nearest surface, he moved toward the couple. _

_"Cormac! I already said no, multiple times, I might add. And I swear if your hands wander below my waist one more time, I will hex you."_

_The wizard in question just laughed at her protests._

_"Come on, Hermione. Everyone knows you are single and have been for some time. You really look like you could use a bit a fun tonight. In fact, why don't we – "_

_Lucius interrupted then, seeing that Hermione was close to exploding._

_"The lady is taken. Please go direct your attentions towards another witch and get away from mine. Now."_

_The wizard whirled around to face him, anger clearly written upon his face. His protests were quickly cut short as soon as he realized just who was standing in front of him. Muttering apologies under his breath, he quickly left as if the hounds of hell were barking at his feet. Lucius smirked at the sight before turning back to Hermione, who looked like she was warring between being angry at his presumption or being amused._

_"Taken, am I?"_

_"Quite so," he replied as he swept her into a waltz, "I have reservations for two for dinner tomorrow night at seven. I'll pick you up."_

_"Awfully sure of yourself, aren't you? What if I said no?"_

_"Are you saying 'no'?"_

_"Well, no, but you can't just tell me that I'm taken and we are having dinner. Haven't you ever heard of asking?"_

_"Love, I'm a Malfoy. We don't ask; we don't have to ask. We just take what we want."_

_He smirked as she started mumbling something about him being a cocky bastard (it wouldn't be the last time she called him that). Regardless of her thoughts on his bastardly behavior, she was ready for their date when he picked her up the next night. The date went exceptionally well and only cemented in his mind and heart what he already knew._

_He was completely head over heels in love with Hermione Granger._

* * *

AN: Thanks to erbkaiser for betaing. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter in Lucius' POV (and that you aren't mad that we still have a cliffie hanging over our heads). Also thanks to Liza, for listening to me whine constantly and helping with ideas. Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Draco sat in his study, absentmindedly reading the latest issue of _Potions Monthly_, with his wife's swollen feet in his lap. He paused in his reading every few pages or so to give Luna's feet a rub. At this stage in her pregnancy they were swollen, and he knew she was uncomfortable. Not that she ever complained, not his Luna. She rarely complained about anything, except maybe about how the Nargles infestation kept reappearing in their fireplace. As he rubbed her feet, he couldn't help but wonder at the nagging feeling that was currently ravaging his stomach. He had felt odd since he had gotten out of bed that morning, and the feeling had only increased as the day went on. This was, however, nothing new for him. Ever since his father had been shipped back to Azkaban he constantly had a feeling of unease that liked to settle in the pit of his stomach. He tried not to think about what his father had done as he couldn't believe Lucius had done those things to those girls, to him, to his family.

To Hermione.

He knew his father had lied to Hermione when he told her he never loved her. He knew his father better than anyone did, save his mother and Uncle Severus, and it was quite clear that his father held nothing but love for the fiery witch.

Which made his actions all the more unbelievable.

Draco worried constantly now, not liking the feeling at all. He worried about the effect the scandal had on his wife; although she was very good about brushing it off. He worried about the pressure he had put on Hermione when, in a fit of rage and knowing it was something she didn't want, he had made her the Head of House Malfoy,. His worries had only increased lately when he found out that the Weasel had been harassing her. She told him he had nothing to worry about, that the Weasel was harmless, but he didn't believe that for one second. He'd seen the look in the Weasel's eyes every time he looked at Hermione. He would almost call it calculating, if he was talking about anyone other than the Weasel. He didn't know, exactly, what the look meant, but he did know he didn't like it. He had spent last night trying to think of ways to convince Hermione that, perhaps, the Weasel didn't exactly have her best interests at heart.

He was so lost in his thoughts and worries that he didn't notice right away that his finger was on fire.

With a yelp, he jumped up, dislodging his wife's feet from his lap and sending the Potions magazine flying to the floor. He stared at his ring incredulously, trying to figure out why the hell it was burning his finger.

"Draco? Is something wrong?" Luna asked in her melodic voice, peering up at him with slightly narrowed eyes.

Wrong? Yes, something was certainly wrong, only he had no idea what it was. Then, suddenly, the conversation he had with his father the day he had given Hermione the family ring came flooding back to him.

_"I've given Ms. Granger the family ring, Draco, and she has accepted."_

_"That's wonderful news, Father. Congratulations."_

_"I've added the standard protections to it, but I've linked it to both my ring and yours. Just in case."_

_"Of course, Father. But don't you think that's a bit excessive? Not that I mind, of course."_

_"One can never be too careful, Draco."_

At the time, he had thought his father was being unnecessarily cautious, but now, as his ring was attempting to burn a hole in his finger, he realized his father had been correct.

"Luna! Send a Patronus to Potter telling him that Hermione is in trouble and to meet me at the Manor right away!" he yelled quickly to his surprised wife. "You stay here and put extra protections on the wards. Don't leave for any reason until either Potter or myself comes back."

In a flash he was gone, hoping he made it to Hermione in time because he knew she wouldn't have used the ring if she wasn't in serious trouble. He arrived at the Manor just in time to catch the Weasel, with Hermione thrown over his shoulder, making his way towards the front door. She was screaming at him to stop, kicking and punching at his back.

Oh _hell_ no.

* * *

Hermione was starting to panic. Ron was almost to the front door and if he was able to leave the Manor and make it to the apparition point, she knew she was in deep, deep trouble.

_Damn it, Draco, where are you?_

She was mere inches from the front door was when she heard Draco arrive with a loud pop. The unexpected noise startled Ron, who turned quickly towards it, almost dropping her in the process.

"Put her down, Weasel. Or else."

"Or else, what? What are you going to do, Ferret? Kill me? I think we all know you are too much of a coward to do that."

Hermione could hear the sneer she was sure was currently on Ron's face in his voice as he mocked Draco.

"If I have to. Here's what's going to happen. You are going to put Hermione down, right this minute. I'll restrain you until the Aurors get here and no one gets hurt. That's the easy way. Or, you can pick the hard way and we can duel. But rest assured, Weasel, you will _not_ win."

Ron laughed at Draco's words, a rather evil laugh that had Hermione wondering, again, just what happened to the boy that used to be her best friend. Before she knew it, she was being thrown aside rather harshly. She hit the floor relatively hard and cursed Ron in her head. She had no time to waste, however, as both men had their wands pointed at the other and curses were already flying. She rushed to her bedroom to retrieve her wand and by the time she returned, Harry had arrived and entered the fray. Ron, now outnumbered, was quickly starting to lose his ground (not that he had much to begin with). He was screaming at Harry now, calling him a traitor for siding with Draco, for not helping him 'get' Hermione. Wanting this to end, she shifted cautiously as to not catch Ron's attention. She prepared to cast a shield around Harry, Draco, and herself while also casting an incarcerous at Ron. Unfortunately, her movement did catch Ron's eyes and he turned towards her. It all happened so fast that she couldn't place what he threw at her; but before she knew it, she was lifted up off the ground and slammed into the wall with great force. She could hear the fighting continue for a minute or so before she heard Ron start yelling to let him go.

Good. She hoped he rotted once he got to Azkaban.

Her vision blurry now, she didn't see Draco approach her, asking worriedly if she was okay. She nodded her head, only to wince in pain at the movement. Her whole body hurt. She let Draco help her up and that was when she heard his sharp intake of breath.

"Hermione... " he trailed off, his voice shaky.

"What? What is it, Draco?"

"Hermione... you're bleeding."

"Well, that's not quite surprising, is it? I did just get thrown into a wall."

"No, Hermione. I mean, you're _bleeding_."

His meaning was clear as day then and she looked down, only to find the front of her pants stained with blood. _Oh gods, no_.

She lost consciousness.

* * *

AN: Thanks to erbkaiser for betaing. Also thanks to Liza and Raybe for their help.

I'd love to hear your ideas for what should happen to Ron and Ginny. :) We are coming close to the end now.

Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Lucius lay on his bed, though it barely qualified as one, and counted the bricks on the opposite wall. Again. If he didn't end up dying from old age in this gods-forsaken place, he was sure the boredom would be what killed him. Some days he wished it would just hurry up and do so. Decidedly un-Slytherin-like thinking, that was, but he wasn't so sure he cared any longer. He was jolted from his maudlin thinking by the sound of a guard approaching his cell door.

"Malfoy, we've just gotten word that your wife is in Saint Mungo's."

At that moment, he felt his heart drop into his stomach and a feeling of dread overtook his body.

"And, what, you decided to come and taunt me with this information? I assure you, the dreadful conditions here are more than enough in the ways of torture."

The guard let out a chuckle at his words, and it made Lucius want to kill him where he stood.

"I have better things to do then to torture prisoners, Malfoy. I'm here to escort you to the boat dock. You're being released."

This caused Lucius to shoot straight up from his bed, a look of shock clearly written on his normally blank face.

"Surely you jest."

"Nope, your release orders followed directly after the news about your wife. Apparently, Mr. Potter put a rush on everything, claiming you were innocent and needed to be released right away."

"My wife. Is she... is she severely injured?"

"I have no word on the nature of her injuries, Malfoy. If you'll get moving, you can go see for yourself."

He followed the guard out of his cell, hoping it would be the last time he ever had to step foot in it. His mind was a mess as he wondered (and worried) what happened to Hermione and what happened that the truth finally came to light. Two thoughts were very clear, however. He needed to know about his wife's health and the fact that Ronald and Ginevra Weasley should be very, very afraid.

* * *

Hermione groaned softly as she regained consciousness. Her head was pounding, and she felt as if she had been run over by a freight train. What in Merlin's name had happened to her? She reluctantly opened her eyes and almost began to panic when she didn't recognize her surroundings. However, within a blink of an eye, it all came rushing back to her.

_Ronald_.

He had better hope that he was locked up securely with his bitch of a sister. She wanted nothing more than to turn her wand on them both until they ended up in the Janus Thickey ward. Her wandering thoughts of revenge were interrupted when the door to her private room was opened and Draco walked in, looking ragged. As soon as their eyes met, he rushed over to her bedside.

"Hermione! Thank Salazar you are awake! How do you feel?"

"Like I got into a fight with a battering ram. Draco, is everything... is the baby... okay?"

"Let me go find a healer, they'll want to know you are awake. Or you should wait for –"

"Draco, no! I need to know, now. Please."

She never thought she would see the day where Draco Malfoy squirmed, but that was what he was currently doing. He looked so nervous that she was afraid he was going to run from the room.

"Ummm, the healers told me that everything was... okay... down there. Something about a popped blood vessel in your... right."

Even feeling as bad as she did, she had to laugh at him as two spots of color appeared on his cheeks. She reached out to take his hand and gave it a bit of a squeeze. Her other hand went to rest on her stomach.

"Thank gods everything is okay. I'm not sure what I would have done if..." she trailed off, not even wanting to speak the words. "How long was I out?"

"It's been about two days, but Hermione, there's something about your pregnancy you need to know and a few other things besides that."

"What? But you just said everything was fine!"

"It is, I promise. I just... I'm not sure if I should tell you. We should wait for – " he tried to tell her again.

"We will wait for no one, Draco Malfoy! You will tell me right this minute!"

"When the healers were treating you, they did multiple scans and found that you're having twins," he said, rushing the words out.

Well. That wasn't exactly what she had been expecting, but she was thrilled. She never thought she would be able to have one baby, let alone _two_.

"That's fantastic! Oh, I'm so excited! Did the healers tell you when I can get out of here? And where's Harry? Merlin, did Ron confess? Draco! It was mostly Ginny; you have to go tell Harry right now before she gets away!" she said frantically, sitting straight up in her bed, ready to jump out.

"Calm down, Hermione. Everything is fine. That stupid Weasel spilled his guts as soon as Potter started in on him. They are both sitting in Azkaban. For now."

Breathing out a relieved sigh, she slumped back down onto the bed.

"Hermione, you should know that –"

Whatever Draco was about to tell her was cut off by the sound of the door opening. She turned her head towards the sound, expecting to see Harry or a Healer. She was not, however, expecting to see her husband walk through the door, only to stop short at seeing her awake. The pair stared at each other in silence for a moment, each so intent on the other than neither noticed Draco leaving the room.

"Hermione..."

His voice sounded raspy from disuse, and yet there was an underlying tone to it. Remorse, perhaps?

"Lucius."

Her speaking his name caused his face to brighten, and he approached her bed slowly.

"Stop. Stop right there, Lucius. Why are you even here? You don't love me, remember? You never did, according to you. What was it, you just needed a wife to help your standing?"

"Hermione, please. Just let me –"

"No! I will not 'just let you' anything. Get out."

"Please, just let me explain."

"I thought Malfoys didn't beg, Lucius. It's most unbecoming of you. Now do as I say and leave, as I do not wish to be in your presence any longer."

Instead of heeding her words, he stepped closer to her, and she lost it. She picked up the candle-lit lamp that sat by her bedside and threw it at his head as she yelled, "Get out!"

Apparently that got through his thick skull, and he turned to make his way to the door. Glancing back at her once more, a shattered expression upon his aristocratic face, he opened the door and left. The door shut with a soft click and as soon as it did, her hands went up to her face as she started crying. It was all too much, too stressful. It killed her to throw Lucius out when all she really wanted to do was run straight into his arms. He may not love her, but gods damn it, she still loved him.

* * *

AN: Thanks to erbkaiser for betaing. Also thanks to Liza and Raybe for their help.  
I'm hoping you all picked up on Draco's comment about Ron and Ginny. *insert evil laugh here*

Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione was able to convince her healer to let her go home the day after her confrontation with Lucius. The week after was a whirlwind as the Wizengamot saw the trials of both Ron and Ginny. She was called to testify, as were Draco and Lucius. Watching her husband on the stand, coolly giving his story of the events that transpired, was extremely hard for her to watch. His version of the events matched the story Ron had used to taunt her exactly. When questioned as to why he had turned himself in, instead of going to the Aurors, he merely shot the opposing lawyer a look that said 'are you stupid?' and refused to answer. She knew, however, why he did it.

The rest of the trial was hard to listen to, especially once Ginny took the stand. One look at her and you knew that she held no remorse for her actions. The girls she killed were merely means to an end and didn't matter to her. As she told additional details of the murders, Hermione grew more and more nauseous until she finally caused quite the scene when she rushed from the courtroom in search of a bathroom. Thankfully, once all the testimonies were heard, it took no time at all for the members of the Wizengamot to find Ron and Ginny both guilty. They were sentenced to life in Azkaban. As they all filed out of the courtroom, Molly Weasley's loud sobbing filling the halls, Hermione tried to catch Lucius' eye. He hadn't looked her way once throughout the week-long trial.

She didn't blame him.

The month that followed was... quiet. Draco, now able to stop worrying so much, stopped coming over every day. Lucius was busy getting caught up on paperwork and events that transpired in his absence, hiding himself away in his study at all hours of the day. All the while, she could be mostly found in the gardens, the library, or in her – their – room. Although, she could barely call it their room since Lucius hadn't stepped foot in it since being released. There seemed to be this endless chasm between herself and her husband that she had no idea how to fix. Exacerbating the problem, she was completely overwhelmed by an ever-present emotion.

Guilt.

She felt guilty that she had believed the lies about Lucius, that she let him sit in Azkaban as an innocent man and did nothing to help him. She felt guilty that she threw that lamp at him (thankfully not hitting him) and yelled at him. He had certainly taken her words to leave her alone to heart, as he hadn't spoken to her at all since they returned home, and she had only seen him a handful of times.

It was a very large house, after all.

Would it have been that hard to just let him explain? She knew, _she knew_, deep down that he had lied when he said he never loved her. It was just easier at the time to choose to believe it. But now? It was just another thing to feel guilty about and it was tearing her apart. She really had little excuse for her behavior at the hospital, other than the fact that she was still hurt over Lucius' words. True or not, hearing those words spill from his lips had broken her heart.

Really, she was just a mess of emotions lately. Guilt, hurt, and feeling somewhat abandoned by her husband, even though she had told him to leave her alone. On top of all that, to make matters worse, her stomach seemed to be growing at an epic rate. Merlin, she knew she was having twins, but she was already huge. Or, rather, she felt like she was.

So there she was, sitting in the library, an unread book resting in her lap (on her protruding belly) as she was unable to keep her concentration on the text it contained. Sighing in defeat, she placed the book on the small antique end table that was next to her chair and stood up. Lifting her arms above her head, she did a couple of stretches to ease the kinks from sitting still too long and decided to go the kitchen for a spot of tea.

The way to the kitchens took her right past the doors to Lucius' study. She paused briefly, considering just barging right in, but her Gryffindor courage failed her. Continuing on her way, she walked a few steps more when she felt a very hard kick right above her belly button. Sure, she had felt a few flutters here and there, but they were nothing like this. Gasping loudly in surprise, both her hands went immediately to her stomach, hoping it would happen again. In her excitement, she didn't notice the door that she had just passed fly open and a frantic Lucius emerge.

"Hermione, what is it? What's wrong?"

She whirled around, surprised to see Lucius standing in front of her, concern shining in his eyes.

"Lucius? What are you talking about?"

"I was getting up to go get some paperwork from another room and when I approached the door, I heard you cry out."

She watched as his eyes came to rest on stomach. When he saw that she was cradling it with her hands, his eyes grew wide with fear.

"Is it the babies? Are you in pain? Don't worry, we'll get you to Saint Mungo's right away!"

"What? Lucius, calm down. The babies are fine; I'm fine. They were just kicking, and it surprised me because it was much more forceful than usual."

His face softened as a look of relief passed over it. She noticed his hand twitch, as if he wanted to reach out and feel the kicking as well.

"If all is well, I'll leave you be," he said as he turned to leave. Hermione, having decided that now was the time to attempt to fix things with her husband, called out to stop him.

"Lucius, wait. Would you... would you like to feel?"

He halted in his steps and looked at her as if he was trying to gauge her sincerity. Finally, he gave a quick nod of his head and came closer. When he was close enough, she reached out to take his hand in hers and gently placed it where she felt the kick. She hoped to Merlin that one of the babies would kick again. Her wish came true when not five seconds later, there was another forceful kick. The look of pure happiness that crossed Lucius' face assured her that she had done the right thing by reaching out to him.

"I'd forgotten what a joy it was to feel your unborn child move about. Thank you for letting me be a part of it," he said as he dropped his hand and began to walk away.

"Lucius, don't," she said, her voice sounding strangled as she fought to hold back tears. He stopped and looked at her, clearly surprised that she had called out to him again. The two stared at each other in silence until Hermione could not take it anymore.

"I'm sorry!"

"You're... sorry?" he asked, confusion evident in his tone.

"I should have done something! I just... believed everything because they told me you turned yourself in. I didn't even question it! And then you had to sit in Azkaban, knowing you were innocent, and it must have killed you. You, thankfully, get out and the first thing I do is throw a lamp at you! Gods, how can you ever forgive me?"

"I cannot forgive you –"

Her breath caught in her throat and despair filled her heart when he spoke those words.

" –because there is nothing to forgive. For Salazar's sake, Hermione, I do not know how you will forgive me. I had to make a quick decision between you and my son, and I will understand if that is something you can never forgive me for doing. I knew he was innocent as well, and I just could not allow him to be sent to Azkaban. There are no words in this language that can express how deeply sorry I am for what you had to go through."

The despair lifted as he continued, and she knew then that things were going to be okay.

"Why did you tell me you never loved me?"

She was nervous she might regret asking that question, but she had to know.

"I was under the impression that I was going to be in Azkaban for the rest of my life. I had hoped that, if I told you I no longer loved you, it might help you move on with your life and move on from your feelings for me. "

"You should have just told me the truth, Lucius. I could have helped you."

"I could not risk your safety. I knew Draco would keep you safe, although it seems I was remiss in calculating the threat that Mr. Weasley posed. I realize there is nothing I can say to make the past few months disappear, but I can only hope that you will someday forgive me."

"Lucius, do you love me?"

"So very much, Hermione. So very much."

He gave her a sad smile and finally continued on his way towards the kitchen. Deciding she wasn't going to let it end like that, she rushed after him and grabbed his hand to turn him to face her. She looked at their joined hands and reveled in the feeling of their second physical interaction since he was released. Merlin, had she missed touching him!

"I love you too, Lucius."

* * *

AN: Thanks to erbkaiser and Raybe for betaing!

Just a few comments on this chapter. I know a few of you are going to think that Hermione is being too hard on herself. And she is. But, I also think that she is 'I should have done something' type of person so she probably would feel guilty. Which is going to lead to her forgiving Lucius maybe a bit easier than she should. Plus, hormones. That said, it's still going to take a bit for her to get over everything, but she does miss her husband. Next chapter, we'll see some more of Lucius' thoughts.

Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

It took everything he had to not slump against the wall and slide to the floor the moment the door closed behind him. Sure, they had fought and yelled at each other before, but the look on Hermione's face as she told him to get out fractured his already broken heart even further. He wasn't sure how much more it could take. He couldn't even blame her, really, as he certainly deserved it. Squaring his shoulders, he decided to give his wife what she wanted and started to make his way down the hall.

"Father!"

He turned towards the sound to see Draco running after him.

"I was calling you, Father; didn't you hear me?"

"I apologize, Draco. I must have been lost in thought."

"Where are you going? Why aren't you in there with Hermione? I would have thought you'd be making up for lost time," Draco said, his voice full of teasing.

"It appears as if my wife has no wish to see me, so I am returning to the Manor."

"I'm sure that's not true, Father. She did just go through a rather traumatizing event. I bet she didn't mean it. Come, let's go straighten this out."

"No, Draco. I'm afraid she did mean it, at least for now. And if I hadn't gotten the hint, she made it quite clear when she threw a lamp at my head."

If he had been in a better mood, he might have been amused at the way his son's jaw dropped and the comical look that appeared on his face.

"She... threw a lamp at you?"

"That she did. I've always admired her fiery temper, just not when it's directed towards me. I am returning to the Manor now, as I'm sure there is a mountain of paperwork to sort through. Would you mind..."

"Of course, Father. I'll stay here until the Healers release her."

He nodded his thanks and returned home, thankful he did not have to worry about languishing in a cell any longer. Now, if only he could get his wife back, things would be perfect.

* * *

Hermione was released from St. Mungo's the next day, much to his surprise (and happiness). However, she went straight to their room, and he did not see her again until the trial.

The trial.

It was... stressful. He had little desire to sit on the stand and be judged, but he knew he had no choice, if he wanted justice served. His solicitor advised him to be brief and just detail the event that transpired between himself and Weasley. He was surprised to find that both Weasleys had confessed to their crimes, and he found it difficult to not sneer at their mother, whose loud sobs echoed throughout the chamber.

He tried multiple times to catch Hermione's eye, but she seemed resolute in avoiding his gaze. He had to settle for just being able to be in the same room as her, and he was glad he could be there to make sure she was handling the testimonies. She did an excellent job concealing her emotions, and it was only because he knew her so well that he could tell she was extremely upset.

It was killing him that he could not help her.

Luckily, the trial went quickly (or rather, quickly for the Wizarding world, lasting just shy of a week) and he was able to get back to his routine. He spent the next month getting his House back together. He could admit that Hermione had done an admirable job considering the circumstances, but there were still things that fell through the cracks.

He would be lying if he said he spent all his time locked up in study on paperwork. In fact, it only took him about two weeks to get things back in order. He spent the rest of the time _pretending_ he was working on paperwork.

What he was really doing was brooding.

It was quite unlike a Malfoy to sit around and brood, but he figured he deserved it. Of course, he fully admitted that the situation he currently found himself in with his wife was his fault. However, he also did not expect her to throw a lamp at his head and then refuse to see him. He had only set eyes on her a handful of times, and each time had felt like a knife plunged through his heart.

He did not know how to bridge this endless gap between them. To make matters worse (in his mind), Hermione's pregnancy was progressing and he was not there for her in the way he wanted to be. This could not go on any longer. Standing abruptly, his chair falling backwards to the floor, he made his way to the door to go search to his wife.

Just as his hand rested on the doorknob, he heard Hermione cry out on the other side of the door. Wasting no time, he threw open the door and rushed into the hallway.

"Hermione, what is it? What's wrong?"

She whirled around to face him, clearly surprised to see him standing before her.

"Lucius? What are you talking about?"

"I was getting up to go get some paperwork from another room and when I approached the door, I heard you cry out," he lied, not wanting her to know that he was actually coming to look for her. His eyes roamed over her body, looking for the reason she had cried out. They ended up on her stomach, and he noticed that she was cradling it with her hands. He was in an instant panic that something was terribly wrong with the babies.

"Is it the babies? Are you in pain? Don't worry, we'll get you to Saint Mungo's right away!"

"What? Lucius, calm down. The babies are fine; I'm fine. They were just kicking, and it surprised me because it was much more forceful than usual."

He felt his whole body sag with relief that everything was okay. His babies were kicking! Oh, how he longed to feel it and his hand reached out slightly, before he realized what he was doing and quickly stopped.

"If all is well, I'll leave you be," he said as he turned to leave, cursing himself for his cowardice. Here was his chance to make things right, but he wasn't taking it. He was stopped, however, by his wife calling out to him and asking if he would like to feel. He turned back towards her, hope surging through him. Moving in closer, he almost jumped when Hermione took his hand in hers and placed it on her rounded stomach. The kick that came was so forceful, it almost dislodged his hand. He could not suppress the wide grin that appeared on his face.

"I'd forgotten what a joy it was to feel your unborn child move about. Thank you for letting me be a part of it," he said as he dropped his hand and began to walk away. He did not want to leave her there; he really didn't. But he felt as if he was pushing too far. He was stopped, however, by his wife's voice, which sounded as if she was holding back tears. He had never been so unsure of himself in his life. It was quite the odd feeling. Then, his wife blurted out two words that were unexpected and quite unneeded.

"I'm sorry!"

He was quite confused as to why she was apologizing and said as much. As she began to explain why she was sorry, he was in disbelief. She was sorry? Had she lost her mind? She wanted his forgiveness when there was nothing to forgive.

"I cannot forgive you because there is nothing to forgive. For Salazar's sake, Hermione, I do not know how you will forgive me. I had to make a quick choice between you and my son, and I will understand if that is something you can never forgive me for doing. I knew he was innocent as well, and I just could not allow him to be sent to Azkaban. There are no words in this language that can express how deeply sorry I am for what you had to go through."

He could see his words had the desired effect. She looked lighter, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. He then explained to her just why he told her he never loved her. If he could do it over again, he probably would have said it, not knowing if he would ever get out of Azkaban.

Not that he would ever tell her that.

She then asked him if he loved her, and he had to swallow the lump that appeared in his throat that she even had to question his love for her.

"So very much, Hermione. So very much."

Surprisingly, she grabbed him then and told him she loved him as well. He could not help himself as he pulled her in closer and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He meant to leave it there; he really did. But then he heard a sweet moan escape from Hermione's lips and was lost. Deepening the kiss, he allowed his hands to roam her body, taking in the changes that pregnancy had caused. As he cupped her breast and ran his thumb over her nipple, Hermione gasped and pulled away.

"What? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry – "

His apology was cut off by her laughter.

"No, I'm not hurt. They are just more... sensitive now and it caught me off guard. Why don't we go up to our bedroom?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to rush this, Hermione. If you need time, I will understand."

"I think we've wasted plenty of time, Lucius. I miss you. Don't deny me."

"Never, my love. I could deny you nothing."

With a smirk worthy of a Malfoy and a wink aimed at him, she took off towards their room as fast as her pregnancy allowed. With a wide grin plastered on his face, he took off after her, not caring at all that he was acting like a teenager. His wife wanted him and she would get what she wanted.

After all, a Malfoy always got what they wanted.

* * *

AN: Thanks to erbkaiser for the beta work and Liza for her help. :)

I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit boring since some of it was the same as chapter 9, just in Lucius' POV. And don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Ron and Ginny. ;)

Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione was sitting at the dining table, enjoying a nice (late) breakfast with her husband. She was having a hard time keeping the grin off her face. The reconciliation between herself and Lucius went much better than she could have ever hoped. Truth be told, she was quite tired from being up all night.

She felt great.

_It hadn't taken Lucius long at all to catch up with her. When he did, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to their bedroom. They made it there in no time at all. In fact, it had been a long time since she had seen Lucius move so fast. As soon as they entered the room, Lucius went straight for the bed and laid her down gently. As soon as she hit the top, he immediately stood back up and started to remove his clothing._

_She couldn't hold back the giggle that escaped from her lips. Hearing that, he stopped his process and gave her a look of uncertainty. _

_"Eager, are we?" she teased. Hearing the teasing tone to her voice, he smirked at her and continued on in removing his clothing. Much more slowly. He had her rapt attention as she found she could not bring herself to look away. Before long, he was standing before her completely nude, cock standing at attention. Merlin, her husband was gorgeous, and she missed looking at him._

_"You are overdressed, wife."_

_She had begun to undress when she felt his hands heed for progress._

_"Allow me."_

_She allowed her hands to fall away as his replaced hers. He took his time, allowing his hands to touch every inch of skin he uncovered. When his hands brushed lightly over her breasts, she couldn't take it any longer._

_"Lucius, please."_

_"Please what, Hermione?"_

_"Lucius, please. Fuck me. Now."_

_She loved hearing his low moan at her words, knowing it turned him on to hear her talk that way. She was so worked up from just his few touches that she nearly came the moment he entered her. This was bliss._

_This was home._

"Lucius, could you pass me the paper, please?"

After he handed it over, she absentmindedly read it over as she ate her breakfast. She continued to enjoy the quiet morning with her husband when she came across an article that had her dropping the piece of toast she held.

"Lucius!"

"What is it, love?"

"This... this... what is this, Lucius?"

Lucius took the paper from her hands and read the article she was pointing to.

_Ronald Weasley was recently transported to St. Mungos from Azkaban. He will have a permanent room in the Janus Thickey ward. At this time, there is no further word on the reason for this transfer._

"Such a shame. Obviously he just could not handle being confined in Azkaban."

She narrowed her eyes at him, knowing that he knew something about this.

"Explain."

"I am sure I do not know what you mean."

"Lucius!"

"I may have heard some rumblings around the Ministry. It seems a Boggart had somehow found its way into poor Mr. Weasley's cell. No one is quite sure how long it was in there, but it must have been for some time if this was the result."

"What? How is it possible no one heard him screaming?"

"Ah, yes. Quite odd, that. By some means, a silencing spell was placed upon his cell."

She looked at him sitting there, the picture of innocent, and instantly knew he was behind this. She wasn't sure if she should be upset or... not upset.

"Lucius, what did you do?"

"Love, I'm hurt. I really am that you would think so poorly of me. Of course I had nothing to do with this. Nothing at all."

She bit her tongue as to not point out that he was protesting too much. Instead, she let it go, knowing he would never admit to any wrong-doing in this instance. If she was being honest, it wasn't exactly like Ronald didn't deserve it anyway.

* * *

A few weeks later had her coming across yet another article that caused her concern. This one was much worse than the first, in her opinion. It was as short as the one about Ron, but this time it stated that Ginny had somehow escaped from Azkaban. Taking a deep breath so she did not panic, she ran (waddled) outside to where Lucius was feeding his pet peacocks.

"Lucius, did you see the paper this morning? Why didn't you tell me Ginny escaped? We have to do something, strengthen the wards! She's going to come after us! Maybe we should go into hiding."

"Calm yourself, Hermione. Stress is not good for the babies."

"Calm myself?! Have you gone utterly insane, Lucius?"

"There's no need to worry, love," he said in a low, completely calm voice.

"What's happened to Ginny?"

"I cannot say I really know, but I have no doubt that you have nothing to worry about," Lucius replied. She rolled her eyes at him, and they landed on the birds as they eagerly ate their food.

"It seems like they are enjoying their feast more today than they usually do."

"They do, do they not? I thought I would try something new, give them a bit of a treat," Lucius said, smirking as he scattered more food across the ground. Thinking their reactions were odd, she turned to go back to the house. But before she left, she turned her head back and said, "Lucius, take this no further. It's not the rest of the Weasley's fault they had two bad eggs. Especially George, he's gone through enough."

"Whatever you wish, love."

Happy with his response, she went back inside.

* * *

Life with Lucius went quite well from then on. It had taken some time, but eventually they slipped right back into the relationship they enjoyed before Ronald and Ginny took it upon themselves to try to ruin their lives.

The arrival of the twins certainly shook things up a bit. It took some adjusting on both their parts in order to handle having two infants, but thankfully Lucius was a wonderful father. Draco and Luna could often be found at the Manor, giving the children a chance to grow up together. Harry was also a frequent visitor, after he got over his guilt at not realizing what Ronald and Ginny were up to.

She watched her children grow up into fine adults. She was even able to watch her children's children grow up, and she enjoyed every last second of it. If there was any lesson she had come out on the other side learning, it was to not waste a single minute of your life. It was too short, and once that minute was gone, you could never get it back.

As she watched her husband struggling to keep up with their youngest grandchild, she couldn't help the swell of love she felt for him. Her love for him had never, ever wavered, even throughout the bad times. Many people had told her she would regret marrying Lucius, regret marrying a Death Eater.

She held no regrets.

* * *

AN: This is un-beta'd as I had a deadline I didn't want to miss.

And there we are, the end of Betrayal. A one-shot I had no intentions of continuing turned into 11 chapters and is up to 132 reviews. I can't thank all my readers enough for sticking with me and I hope you enjoyed the ride. I know I did. I also hope you all catch just what happened to Ginny. You can all blame Liza for that bit, it's completely her fault. :)

Special thanks to erbkaiser, Liza, and Raybe for all their help on this story.

Please review!


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